One Direction’s Harry Styles Releases First Solo Single
April 7 is a big day for fans of Harry Styles. The former One Direction singer finally released his first solo single, titled “Sign of the Times.” Styles premiered the song on the radio while he was co-hosting this morning with Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio1’s Breakfast Show.
Styles told Grimshaw, “It’s the song I’m most proud of writing.”
Ever since One Direction announced that they were going on hiatus in March of 2016, many of the band members pursued solo careers. As a matter of fact, Zayn Malik started his solo path first in early 2015, leaving the group abruptly and before the planned hiatus. After that, the other guys followed suit, and now it’s Styles’ turn to test the waters as a solo act.
To kick off and promote the new tune, Styles is making an appearance on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live. On April 15, he will be the musical guest on the late-night comedy show. Styles will probably do more than just sing on SNL, and it’s highly likely you will see him in a few of the sketches because he also has a new movie coming out. The film, Dunkirk, will be released this summer, on July 21. It is a remake of the 1958 film and tells the story of the Dunkirk evacuation during WWII. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it also stars Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and James D’Arcy.
Styles has performed on Saturday Night Live three times before when he was with One Direction. His April 15 appearance will mark his solo debut on the show. Joining Styles that night as the host will be comedian Jimmy Fallon, who is also no rookie when it comes to the SNL stage.
Many of the music reviews have said that “Sign of the Times” is very Bowie-esque. You can’t get a much bigger compliment than being compared to the late David Bowie. That certainly has to excite Styles and motivate him to continue doing what he’s been doing. He will have the support of his fans, who have all been eagerly awaiting the release of his new music.
The release date for Styles’ new album has not yet been announced, but it shouldn’t be too much longer. Rob Stringer, who is the Sony Music CEO, told Billboard that the release is “close.”
According to Stringer, “We’re close and we’re very excited. We have a record we’re incredibly excited about and it’s not far away from being ready. We obviously want everything to be beautifully done, because we think he’s here to stay. Harry has stepped up with the vision of someone who’s authentic.”
Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan are two other former One Direction band members who have found success as solo artists. Tomlinson, who was the last one to announce a solo career, recently became a father a little over a year ago. When he’s not being a daddy, he is writing songs and working for his record label. Twenty-five-year-old Tomlinson released his first solo single, “Just Hold On,” last December.
Niall Horan has been spending most of his time working on his solo album. He released his first solo single, “This Town,” on September 29, 2016. There has not been a confirmed date for the album release, but fans of Horan have been patiently waiting and will continue to do so until the album is complete.
It’s obvious that fans of One Direction are loyal. Each of the guys who have gone their own way have had a tremendous amount of support from the old One Direction enthusiasts. As long as they keep making music, there will be people who want to hear it.
[Featured Image by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images]
